Carleton College, in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Northfield and Cannon Falls, will present a free public screening of the acclaimed documentary film “Miss Representation” on Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Weitz Center for Creativity Cinema. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion and reception. This event is free and open to the public.

Directed and produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, “Miss Representation,” which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, explores how the media’s misrepresentation of women has led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. The film has since garnered significant buzz nationwide and recently premiered on OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network).

“Like [Jennifer Siebel] Newsom, I have a young daughter, and I want her to grow up knowing that how she looks is not who she is. I want her—and her friends, both boys and girls—to see representations of women that are as complex and powerful and amazing as the women I know. When they don’t, I want them to have the critical skills to understand what’s wrong with the picture,” says event organizer and League of Women Voters board member Jessica Peterson White. “This film demonstrates how big this problem is in the media today, and what we can all do to change it. It’s powerful, and I can’t wait for people to see it and join in this important discussion.”

Following the screening, a panel discussion, moderated by Peterson White, will feature Carol Donelan, Carleton professor of cinema and media studies; Adriana Estill, Carleton professor of English and American studies; Susy Bates, political director of womenwinning: Minnesota Women’s Campaign Fund; and Sandy Wollschlager, Minnesota State Representative (28A) and League of Women Voters board member. The event concludes with a reception in the Commons of the Weitz Center for Creativity.

More information about the film, including a trailer, can be found online at www.missrepresentation.org.

This event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Northfield and Cannon Falls, along with the Carleton College Departments of Cinema and Media Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Media and Public Relations, and the Gender and Sexuality Center. The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at 620 N. Third Street in Northfield. For more information, including disability accommodations, contact the Carleton College Office of College Relations at (507) 222-4309.